


A Fair Question

by Wallwalker



Category: Final Fantasy VI
Genre: F/M, Mid-Canon, Missing Scene, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 03:56:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4506774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallwalker/pseuds/Wallwalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before leaving for Thamasa, Celes comes to ask Setzer a question.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fair Question

**Author's Note:**

  * For [runicmagitek](https://archiveofourown.org/users/runicmagitek/gifts).



> Happy birthday! I hope you enjoy this!

Celes came to visit me before she set sail.

I was alone at the time, and not expecting any more visitors. I had chased Cid away some time ago, and had refused to allow him to return; perhaps we could speak of engineering questions another time, but I would not have him disrespecting my work. Terra and the others had come and gone; I’d like to believe that they had hoped for my aid. But the Blackjack was to be grounded for some time, and I did not want to leave it in such a sorry state.

Hearing her descend into the engine room was not unwelcome, but I was in no state for a visit. I was wearing simple clothes that were already torn and worn and stained from past repairs, and she stood as proud and lovely as ever. Still, if there was one rule in gambling and in life, it was this: Never let them see you sweat. “Celes,” I said, standing and reaching for a towel to wipe the worst of the grease away. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Thank you, Setzer,” she said, calm and collected as ever. “Are you well?”

I nodded. “I’ve survived worse crashes before,” I said, as flippantly as I could manage under the circumstances. “I’m thankful that the only damage done is damage that I can repair.”

She nodded. Her boots clicked against the hard wooden floor, and she glanced around at the stilled gears of the engine. I saw her nod slightly, her lips pressed together. Perhaps such things were familiar to her. 

Before I had the chance to ask, however, she spoke again. “I wanted to ask you something. When we first came to Vector... the others told me that you came to Vector to find me.”

“I came to -“ I started, but stopped before I could finish. I was about to say that I had come to find all of them, but it was not true, and she and I both knew it. “I mean... yes. I did.” 

“Why?” She kept her blue eyes on me, raising one eyebrow. “I hijacked your ship and disrupted your plans. We were hardly friends.”

It was a fair question, and at first I did not have any good answers for her. Why had I gone back to find her? Certainly not only because she was lovely; if I had wanted the company of a lovely lady, I was sure I could have gone back to Jidoor and found Maria again, now that the Impresario had let his guard down. Or even if I could not, there were any number of others who would have happily spent a few days with me; I’ve had no trouble finding them before. And Celes had done me a disservice, betting with me under false pretenses in a game that I had no hope of winning. Their disappearance would have freed me from an unwanted obligation. It would have been easier and ultimately safer to take the opportunity and return to my home. 

“I told you before,” I finally answered. “I always repay my debts.” 

“Even when they put you in harm’s way?” 

“Especially then. What is life without danger?” It was easy, now, to be cavalier about the peril that my decision had led me into. It had not been so easy when I had been crawling with the others underground, when fierce monsters and molten rock had surrounded us on every side. But everything looks much simpler in hindsight. 

She understood that, I was sure. I could see it in her face, the raised eyebrow and skeptical curve of her lip. “Whatever your reasons,” she said, a bit more lightly, “I wanted to thank you. I... I haven’t known many people who would come back for me.”

“Truly?” I blinked. “I have difficulty imagining that.” 

“Truly. I... my training was to trust no one. I thought it was preparing me for the inevitable.” And I saw her glance down at her hands, saw a faint shimmer that I’d not noticed before, like sun reflected on snow. I’d seen similar auras, after handling the odd green stones with the voices that whispered in my mind; Terra’s magic had risen like smoke from her skin. Celes was far more subtle. 

“The Emperor has a great many issues with trust,” I answered, remembering the constant searches and tariffs he’d inflicted on me before I’d decided never to fly in Imperials skies again. A promise I’d broken, of course, but not without very good reason. “I’m not surprised he’d choose to share them with his soldiers. And I wouldn’t leave someone behind who bested me, fair and square.”

“It wasn’t exactly a _fair_ victory,” she said, smiling thinly. 

“Do you think I haven’t used similar tricks? It was my mistake for not demanding to see the coin to begin with.” I laughed ruefully; Daryl would’ve never let me hear the end of it, if she’d still lived. “No, you got the better of me, Celes. I came back for you because of it, and I would do it again.”

She was quiet for a few moments, glancing from wall to wall. Was she not used to expressions of loyalty? How had the Empire treated this woman? Not fairly, that was certain. 

“I appreciate your sentiment,” she finally answered. “I hope that it won’t become necessary.”

“Yes. So do I.” That remained to be seen, of course. Some of the others were implied to think that the Emperor was sincere, and the circumstances were dire enough that they would frighten a lesser man away from thoughts of war. But no one could bluff like a politician, and Gesthal was one of the best. Still, we could at least hope that this peace would last. 

She nodded back, brushing loose hair away from her face. “Well,” she finally said. “General Leo will be concerned if I do not return to the dock before sunset. I should depart. Good luck with the repairs.” 

“Don’t worry,” I answered. “She’ll be ready to fly again in no time.” 

She stood awkwardly for a few moments. I thought about offering her my hand, or reaching to take hers and kiss it, but I was smeared with grease and dirt. Hardly a proper moment for such things... with any luck, a better opportunity would come another day. Finally she inclined her head. “Take care of yourself,” she said. “I would like to see you again, once all of this is over.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “You will, Celes. You can bet on that.” 

With that she turned to go, and climbed up the stairs to rejoin the adventuring party. And I still had work to do, if I was to be airworthy again soon. 

It was hard work, but my smile did not fade for hours after she had walked away.


End file.
